Sisters in Cinema (2003) was written, produced, and directed by Yvonne Welbon. This film is a brief look at an important, but overlooked subject--African-American women as movie directors.
To my knowledge, this is the first documentary about this topic,and it represents an excellent beginning.
However, because we see continued shots of Ms. Welbon walking along the street--presumably in search of the directors--and because the film is short--only 57 minutes--what we are shown is an almost subliminal view of the work of 20 directors. They are on and off the screen so quickly that it's hard to just remember their names, let alone appreciate what they have accomplished.
The fact that Hollywood and the independent studios don't favor women directors--particularly African-American women directors--is deplorable. Ms. Welbon has produced a film that at least brings to light this bad situation. Now we need a film--from Ms. Welbon or another director--that begins where "Sisters in Cinema" ends.
To my knowledge, this is the first documentary about this topic,and it represents an excellent beginning.
However, because we see continued shots of Ms. Welbon walking along the street--presumably in search of the directors--and because the film is short--only 57 minutes--what we are shown is an almost subliminal view of the work of 20 directors. They are on and off the screen so quickly that it's hard to just remember their names, let alone appreciate what they have accomplished.
The fact that Hollywood and the independent studios don't favor women directors--particularly African-American women directors--is deplorable. Ms. Welbon has produced a film that at least brings to light this bad situation. Now we need a film--from Ms. Welbon or another director--that begins where "Sisters in Cinema" ends.
